The Fort Calhoun volleyball team had an eye on their opposition Thursday during warmups at Arlington High School.
“We scouted out our competition and we knew where we wanted to go,” junior Pioneer Raegen Wells said.
New FCHS coach Liz Sevcik's lineup read the floor right and excelled in its attacks during the season-opener, besting the Eagles in three-straight sets — 25-11, 25-17 and 25-13. The Pioneers started 1-0 going into their weekend tournament, while AHS dropped to 0-1 before traveling to a tourney in Plattsmouth.
“That went pretty well for us,” Sevcik said. “We were serving well. We were picking up a lot stuff up on defense that we weren't getting at the Jamboree, and the girls were just really working well together as a team.”
“I think we learned a lot tonight,” Wells added.
Arlington, meanwhile, fell behind quickly during each of the three sets. Mollie Dierks' first-inning serving streak pushed Fort Calhoun ahead 13-4 before first-year Eagles head coach Stacy Nelson took a timeout to settle her team.
“We kind of dug ourselves a hole to start with,” she said after the match. “Makes it harder for us to come back out of it when we start a game that way.”
A Taylor Arp kill helped AHS slow the Pioneers' efforts to pull away in the opening set of the season, but it didn't completely stop the visitor's progress toward a dominant win. Olivia Quinlan's ace made the score 20-6 before a notable Madison Buczkowski kill and the 14-point set win.
“Our hitters were more efficient and making smart plays,” Sevcik said, comparing FCHS' play to its exhibition match a week earlier. “Knowing when to just stay alive and keep the ball going.”
The Pioneers started the second set with a 4-0 lead, too, but the Eagles battled back. Junior Lizzie Meyer beat a block to cut her team's disadvantage to one, 6-5, before it, ultimately, led 7-6.
“They were passing well. They were blocking and they were serving well,” Nelson said. “Those are keep points of any game and, when we do them well, it's a lot of fun to play volleyball.”
Peyton and Emme Timm stood out to the coach for their efforts against Fort Calhoun. After missing a few days with the team due to illness, Peyton Timm returned and showed herself to be an “aggressive and smart hitter,” Nelson said.
“It's a good combo,” she added, complimenting the sophomore.
Emme Timm, meanwhile, stepped in and played well at the setter position as a sophomore.
“I think she stepped in and ran our offense very, very well,” Nelson said.
The Eagles' performances weren't enough to overcome the Pioneers, though. Down 7-6 in the second set, they scored five-straight points to retake the lead. Wells, Shelby Dorau and Buczkowski all provided successful attacks during the run.
“Our hitters seemed to be pretty on tonight,” Sevcik said, crediting the Pioneers' passers and setter Olivia Quinlan. The coach gave the senior an “A-plus” for her efforts.
FCHS won the second set 25-17 and started the third with a 12-2 run. Wells' fallback, cross-court kill barely over the net was a highlight as was Quinlan's crafty tap at 19-8.
Emme Timm, Meyer and Arp scored for Arlington down the stretch, but Quinlan's ace serves, Maddy Tinkham's kill and Grace Genoways' match-point attack ended the Pioneers' 3-0 sweep.
In the end, Wells was complimentary of her Calhoun team's efforts. The junior also had pride in her play, which included keeping the ball in play with her attacks and on the defensive end.
“On the bus ride home, we're really going to be talking about taking the next step,” she said.
AHS didn't need to load the bus after its opener, but it also looked to improve.
“We're going to play better volleyball tomorrow morning in practice,” Nelson said.
THURSDAY LINE SCORE
Fort Calhoun 3, Arlington 0
FCHS (1-0) 25 25 25 — 3
AHS (0-1) 11 17 13 — 0
Pioneers take 3rd at home
Two days later, the Pioneers hosted Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, Cedar Bluffs and Winnebago for their home tourney.
FCHS went 1-1, finishing third. It lost the opener to the Logan View Raiders — they eventual tourney champs — 25-15, 25-17 before besting Cedar Bluffs 25-9, 29-27.
The first set against the Wildcats ended in the Pioneers' favor when Buczkowski's swing beat a block, finding its way off of outstretched fingers and to the court.
After a slow start to the second, Quinlan's kill from the back row gave her squad a 14-13 advantage. Cedar Bluffs regained leads of 18-17, 19-18 and 23-22, but Calhoun evened the score at 24-all with Quinlan's ace.
Genoways later tied it again at 25-25 before the Pioneers finally pulled off the 2-0 sweep, 29-27, when the Wildcats couldn't return Buczkowski's final serve.
SATURDAY LINE SCORES
Fort Calhoun 2, Cedar Bluffs 0
CB 9 27 — 0
FCHS (2-1) 25 29 — 2
Logan View/Scribner-Snider 2, Fort Calhoun 0
LVSS 25 25 — 2
FCHS (1-1) 15 17 — 0
AHS goes 0-3 at Plattsmouth
Arlington continued its first week of the season with three matches Saturday at the Plattsmouth Invitational.
The Eagles lost back-to-back 2-0 matches to David City and Ralston before a 25-21, 25-14 loss to their hosts in the seventh-place match. The 25-21 first set was their closest of the day.
AHS first lost to the Scouts, 25-8, 25-18, before a 25-13, 25-15 defeat against the Rams.
Coach Nelson's squad next plays Thursday at Omaha Gross.
SATURDAY LINE SCORES
Plattsmouth 2, Arlington 0
AHS (0-4) 21 14 — 0
PHS 25 25 — 2
Ralston 2, Arlington 0
AHS (0-3) 13 15 — 0
RALSTON 25 25 — 2
David City 2, Arlington 0
AHS (0-2) 8 18 — 0
DC 25 25 — 2
